Guess you have to price relatively low to off-set the staggering 2K a month maintenance. Not what I'd call a bargain, all things considered.

Posted by: Florence Castleberry at December 1, 2008 12:56 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 111 Hicks Railroad Loft

Ignore the namecalling. Focus instead on your rights as a tenant in New York City. They are considerable, and the resources available to you on-line are considerable. I'd suggest checking out the Office of the Attorney General's renter's rights web page, and the Department of Buildings' website for info regarding permits.

By law, your apartment must be kept at 68 degrees if the temperature outside falls below 55 degrees. Your hot water must be kept at 120 degrees. Your electrical wiring must be up to NYC code, and your appliances must be kept in working order. Your landlord is in violation of the law if he does not comply with these regulations, and he could be subject to a fine from the DOB if the electrical work done on your apartment was done without a permit. He is further in violation of the law if he seeks to retaliate against you for complaining to state government offices by denying you baseline services or verbally harassing you. Know your rights, document everything with pictures and videotapes of flickering lights or other electrical malfunctions, and keep correct records of daily fluctuations of the temperature outside and in your apartment, and of your hot water. Only correspond with your landlord in writing and send all correspondence registered mail. Keep copies of everything you send and keep everything you receive in writing from your landlord. Do not engage in namecalling or verbal sparring of any kind; keep your emotions in check and do nothing more than cite the law to him if you decide to withhold rent until repairs are made. Save all voicemail messages. Lastly, start saving your money now for down payment on another apartment and do consider getting an attorney if you want to fight this battle. Keep in mind, though, that sometimes these battles are simply not worth the hassle and you may end up having to move anyway. Still, do not allow yourself to be bullied into leaving your home because a greedy landlord sees a hardening rental market and would like to cash in by screwing his current tenants.

For as many renters who try to "hit the housing jackpot" by complaining to the DOB, there are equally as many landlords who'd like to keep their tenants living in subpar conditions, paying capricious, almost usurious rent increases on already comparatively astronomical rents, in exchange for constant, mean-spirited, exhausting battles over basic amenities that are provided for by the law.

Posted by: Florence Castleberry at November 13, 2008 10:25 AM in response to Pre-1938 CofO renovation question

We just used Moving Your Way - 718 788-4920. We, too, had a small apartment and were only moving about fifteen blocks. I cannot recommend them highly enough - they were superb and faster than any other movers we've used in the past.

We had four guys, the move took a total of 4 and a half hours, nothing got broken or went missing and the guys were all great. Even with the tip, we spent less than $700. Granted, we didn't move many large, heavy items like a sectional, but we were moving to a fourth floor walkup and had alot of boxes and other items.

I can't recommend them highly enough. Call and Igor will likely get in touch with you with an estimate, or have a look at their website at movingyourway.com.

Posted by: Florence Castleberry at September 8, 2008 5:27 PM in response to Quote for one bedroom move

'stoner, your link to the original thread is borked because your html is incorrect - the link starts with hthttp instead of http.

Posted by: Florence Castleberry at September 8, 2008 5:16 PM in response to Quote of the Day

Thanks so much, folks. We don't have kids or dogs, so we're figuring water based would suit our needs, plus we have very limited time to get it all done. We'd heard about the smell but didn't know about "ambering", which is definitely not something we want, as the floors are already fairly dark as it is. Plus we have cherry cabinets and an exposed brick wall, so an orange-y hue sounds a little frightening.

We are using Ken with Pro Painting and Floor Scraping. Anyone have experience with his work?

Posted by: Florence Castleberry at July 25, 2008 1:54 PM in response to Reasonable quote? Water or oil based finish?

daveinbedstuy, this fool should kiss more than my or anyone's grits for pulling such a dirty trick - this building is a blight on the block, the street and the neighborhood.

Posted by: Florence Castleberry at July 23, 2008 4:10 PM in response to 109 Gates Avenue Revealed: Man, That's Ugly

May this moron take a bath on this shameful monument to stupidity and greed run amok. This sort of cynical waste makes me sick.

Posted by: Florence Castleberry at July 23, 2008 3:30 PM in response to 109 Gates Avenue Revealed: Man, That's Ugly

I hear you, 11217. You're right - the building took forever to build, there are no doubt interesting, shall we say, structural and design decisions as a result, and now the brokers who left BHS specifically to rep this thing are off the job, and Corcoran has swooped in to pick up the slack. None of this inspires confidence. And, for that reason, I can't agree that a Manhattanite would get more bang for less buck buying in this place rather than in Manhattan. You can buy a pre-war place in Manhattan for 1.7 - maybe it won't be as large, but then you're pretty much assured your property value will remain stable and increase over time because Brooklyn isn't Manhattan, and Flatbush isn't 7th Avenue. Sure, the creep has happened and keeps happening, but Flatbush is a major traffic thoroughfare and will be indefinitely. If what you want is "luxury" - because that's what they're promising - then I don't understand what's "luxurious" about the Vermeil outside of Italian tile and SubZero appliances. And how much extra are we talking for a parking space in the garage? I'm cranky over all of this, I admit, because I'm not a fan of most of the new construction around Brooklyn in general, and this place, though cosmetically a better fit for the neighborhood, just smells like a potential money pit to me.

Posted by: Florence Castleberry at July 18, 2008 12:50 PM in response to Changing of the Guard at The Vermeil

11217 - if you're saying that a construction worker on site at the Vermeil told you personally that they left a hole in the masonry specifically to accommodate a light fixture, I have no reason not to believe you. How that would work, exactly, is a mystery to me, given that there is not now in that spot a light fixture, and it appeared to me as I walked past the building to the Q train - a common occurrence for me - that there were no other spots with bricks simply "left out" of the facade. There was a hole in the building and now there is a very obvious patch where that hole used to be. Lots of buildings have outdoor light fixtures without obvious patches in the building's exterior, wouldn't you agree?

For almost $1000 a square foot, as friends who viewed a dark, ground floor unit can attest, I would expect better forethought and execution. I suspect that might have something to do with why Manhattanites are not jumping at the chance to live a stone's throw from Flatbush Avenue in the lap of "luxury" in yet another cookie-cutter condo.

Posted by: Florence Castleberry at July 18, 2008 12:14 PM in response to Changing of the Guard at The Vermeil

Oh, 11217. You seem to know quite a bit about this building. A whole lot.

Posted by: Florence Castleberry at July 18, 2008 11:46 AM in response to Changing of the Guard at The Vermeil

When we walked past there about two months ago, several bricks had fallen out of the facade. The problem has been fixed, but that, to me, does not bode well for the overall quality of the construction.

Posted by: Florence Castleberry at July 18, 2008 11:29 AM in response to Changing of the Guard at The Vermeil

I stand corrected. After checking again the Sec of State's renters rights guide, turns out only withholding a security deposit for damages to the apartment or back rent is permissible under the current law. So, now I'm sorta peeved, too, and I hope you point out the law to your landlord and get your deposit back, with interest.

Posted by: Florence Castleberry at July 17, 2008 9:45 AM in response to Security Deposit - no lease!

Don't pour cement down his drains or any other petty thing because he can certainly sue you or destroy your credit if you choose to do so. You didn't give him 30 days notice as a month-to-month tenant, as required by New York law. Check the "Renter's Rights" page on the Secretary of State's website for more info. Sorry, but you're going to have to eat the deposit on this one.

Posted by: Florence Castleberry at July 16, 2008 8:44 PM in response to Security Deposit - no lease!

We used HouseMaster and were completely satisfied. Heimer also comes highly recommended. Info on both available on the web.

Posted by: Florence Castleberry at July 16, 2008 8:16 AM in response to Inspections